Sarah Schulte plays in the Women’s Bundesliga whilst working on her PhD at the University of Oldenburg. It’s a balancing act between two worlds.
One day in September at the outdoor sports ground in Wechloy: a young woman in a football shirt casually keeps the ball in the air – first with her foot, then alternately with her knees. The autumnal rain shower doesn’t bother the player wearing the number 16 shirt as she dribbles the ball a few metres across the grass pitch.
Sarah Schulte is captain of SV Meppen’s women’s football team and plays in the 1. Bundesliga. Unlike her male counterparts who play in Germany’s top flight, she is not a professional sportswoman. Alongside her football, she works – and has been earning a living since April as a research assistant at the Institute of Sport Science at the University of Oldenburg. There, Schulte is preparing for her PhD.
Juggling these two worlds requires a lot of organisation. “Of course, it’s not always easy to balance university, football and my private life,” she explains. However, the athlete has now got it all well organised. Football training at the club takes place in the mornings and evenings. Schulte is allowed to miss the morning sessions – but in return,
has to attend a replacement training session in Oldenburg. “For me, this is a great solution, because it means I can work at the university both in the morning and in the afternoon and then drive to training in the evening,” she says. Training sessions at the club usually take place from Wednesdays to Saturdays, plus there are league match days. “This schedule is really practical because it means I can work a bit longer on Mondays and Tuesdays if I need to,” explains the 27-year-old.
Football has always played a major role in her life. She’s been kicking a ball around since she was four. “I got into the sport because my dad used to coach the youngest kids in our home town. He always took me along to training – and I’ve been playing ever since.” When she was about ten years old, she was accepted into the talent development programme. Thanks to the feedback she received during the various trials, the midfielder realised she could achieve more. “It was during this time that I decided to invest even more time and energy into football,” says Schulte.
She has been playing in and for Meppen since 2011. For various reasons, a move away was never an option for her: “The club has a family atmosphere; I feel very much at home here.” She also appreciates that young talent is nurtured in this district town in the Emsland region, and that many players from the club’s own youth ranks go on to play in the Bundesliga. Schulte herself played with her team in the Women’s 2nd Bundesliga for many years and is now in her second season in the top flight. “We’ve continued to develop – not just as a club, but as a team too,” she says proudly. Schulte’s personal record: more than 200 matches for Meppen and several appearances for the DFB’s junior national teams
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So far, football has not featured in her doctoral thesis at the university. Schulte is currently in the process of defining her topic and research question in more detail. Alongside her doctoral project, she has teaching duties and supports her colleagues in Prof. Dr Dirk Büsch’s ‘Sport and Training’ department. This winter semester, she is running a practical course on football. “It’s a nice change not to be kicking the ball myself for a change, but to pass on my passion to others,” says the sportswoman, who has already completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sports Science in Oldenburg. She is also interested in other sports, so she is keeping her options open as to whether her research will focus on football. Taking a step back from ball sports and remaining open to other topics – that is important to Schulte. In the little free time she has left, she most enjoys spending time with friends and her family.
Science before football
Having a second string to one’s bow alongside a football career is normal in women’s football. In Germany, women’s teams do not receive the same attention as men’s teams – although Schulte feels that the recent Women’s European Championship has brought them significantly greater visibility. “I went to a few public viewings, which were very well attended. The atmosphere was just lovely,” she says.
Time and again, Schulte has to prove to herself and others that it is possible to strike a balance between football and work, that both worlds can be reconciled. “Because I train during the week, I rely on flexible
working hours. Fortunately, that’s working out well at the moment,” she says. Should the day come when she has to choose between the two career paths, she would probably opt for academia. “Even after my football career, I’d like to do something I enjoy. I’ve really enjoyed the academic side of things so far.” Her time as a competitive athlete is finite. “So it’s essential to build up further prospects for the future.”
